The members of the International Relations Office (ORI) of the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic) (UNEATLANTICO) welcome 38 international students from different countries that are part of the Erasmus+ mobility program, such as France, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, and Turkey.
The meeting began with Juan Luis Vidal, director of the ORI, thanking the present foreign students for their choice to place their trust in UNEATLANTICO. In this sense, Juan Luis took advantage of the space to offer a series of practical advice and recommendations —both particular and more general— to the young people, with the aim of facilitating their integration into the university community, as well as their stay in Santander for their maximum benefit and for the benefit of their experience.
Similarly, in order to reassure the Erasmus students about the difficulty of facing the challenges of living in a new country, Professor Vidal highlighted the diverse and multicultural character of the academic institution, pointing out to the Erasmus students that UNEATLANTICO has 30% of international students from Latin America, Africa, China, and other parts of the world.
Laura Martín, administrative manager of the ORI, and the person with whom the international students are in frequent contact during the entire process, from before their arrival to their departure, stressed to them that in the face of any adversity they can turn to her whenever they need help, especially with regard to problems such as paperwork, schedules, classes, integration, and coexistence. She was also in charge of guiding the students during the tour of the University Campus facilities.
Likewise, Rubén Pérez, a teacher of the Master’s Degree in Teacher Training for Compulsory Secondary and Bachelor’s Education, Vocational Training and Language Teaching at UNEATLANTICO, introduced himself to the students as the teacher who will be teaching Spanish during their entire academic period in Spain.
Finally, those responsible for the Santander team in charge of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) presented the extensive program of activities that will take place during the months in which international students are in the university campus of UNEATLANTICO. This planning includes excursions to the main places of interest, cultural and culinary outings, sports competitions, and leisure activities.